(From the United Way of Hancock County)

United Way of Hancock County’s Secor Scholarship committee is pleased to name Liberty-Benton High School senior Emily Tomlinson as this year’s United Way Foundation Secor Scholar.

The daughter of Sara and Jim Tomlinson, Emily plans to attend the University of Cincinnati to major in pre-occupational therapy. Emily was selected from a large field of applicants based on her volunteerism, academic accomplishments, involvement in extracurricular and school activities, and her ability to exemplify leadership skills.

At Liberty-Benton, Emily has a 4.0 GPA and is a member of Student Council, Z-Club and National Honor Society. She was an event organizer for Bring the Change, a K-12 change drive that raised over $4,500 for the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society. In 2022, she was one of three Liberty-Benton students chosen to attend the Hugh O’Brien Youth Leadership conference. She is also the owner and baker at Emily’s Sweet Treats, a custom baking business.

Emily is a two-year varsity captain of the soccer team and is a two-year letter winner in track. She is a member and vice president of the Fellowship of Christian Athletes and an active member of Gateway Church, where she is a volunteer childcare worker, performs with the youth band and is involved in the youth leadership team. She participated in Hancock Youth Leadership and is a blood drive leader for her school’s American Red Cross chapter. She participated in a mission trip to the Dominican Republic in 2023 with Mission Possible, where she taught English and Vacation Bible School programming to grade-school students.

The Secor Scholarship is a $2,000 award, renewable for four years for a total of $8,000, and a memorial to the Steven and Doris Secor bequest. The scholarship is awarded annually to a high school senior living in Hancock County and highlights the United Way’s belief that education, financial stability and health are the foundations for building a good quality of life.